NCT04737915

Virtual Reality Exposure Versus In Vivo Exposure for Fear of Heights

Comparing the Efficacy of a Single-Session Virtual Reality Treatment for Fear of Heights to In Vivo Exposure and No Treatment

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 114 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Notre Dame · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This study randomly assigned 114 participants with significant fear of heights to one of three conditions: a) a single session of virtual reality exposure; b) a single session of in vivo exposure; or c) a control condition. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of virtual reality exposure to the efficacy of in vivo exposure or no exposure for participants with significant fear of heights.

Conditions

• Fear of Heights
• Acrophobia
• Specific Phobia
• Anxiety Disorder

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Exposure Therapy (In Vivo)	Participant completes a single session of exposure therapy for fear of heights by looking over railings into an atrium at various floor levels in a virtual environment.
BEHAVIORAL	Exposure Therapy (Virtual Reality)	Participant completes a single session of exposure therapy for fear of heights by looking over railings into an atrium at various floor levels in a real environment.

Timeline

• Start date: 2018-06-11
• Primary completion: 2019-03-06
• Completion: 2019-03-06
• First posted: 2021-02-04
• Last updated: 2021-02-08

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States